Indian wedding glossary · Wedding day rituals
What is Ponkhvu?
Also written: Ponkhana, પોંખવું
Ponkhvu is the Gujarati welcome of the groom, where the bride's mother greets him at the entrance with an aarti and playfully tries to catch his nose.
- Who keeps it
- Gujarati Hindu and Jain families.
- When
- When the jaan (baraat) arrives, before the groom enters the mandap.
About Ponkhvu
What should you know about Ponkhvu?
The bride's mother circles a thali with a lamp, rice and kumkum before the groom, and uses small items such as a churner or a rice pestle in the ritual. The nose-catching is a light-hearted reminder that he is coming to ask for her daughter's hand with humility.
Relatives laugh and cheer as the groom tries to dodge, and then he is led into the mandap.
In the order of functions
Where does Ponkhvu come in an Indian wedding?
When the jaan (baraat) arrives, before the groom enters the mandap.
- Before the weddingFixing the match, the engagement, the date and the card.
- The functionsPujas, haldi, mehndi, sangeet and the family days before the wedding.
- Wedding day ritualsFrom the baraat to the pheras, nikah and anand karaj.
- After the weddingVidaai, the new home, the reception and the first visits.
Planning your own days? The free wedding function order planner puts your functions in a sensible order with dates.
On the card
What do families write on the invitation for Ponkhvu?
Jaan aagman and ponkhvu at 7 pm, followed by the hast melap at 8 pm.
Related words
Words that go with Ponkhvu
- Baraat
The baraat is the groom's wedding procession from his place to the wedding venue, with family and friends dancing to a band or dhol ahead of him.
- Hasta milap
Hasta milap is the joining of the bride's and groom's hands during the wedding rites; panigrahan, its Sanskrit name, means taking the hand.
- Mandvo
Mandvo is the Gujarati word for the wedding canopy, and the mandvo or mandap mahurat is the puja when that canopy is set up and blessed before the wedding.
- Kanya aagaman
Kanya aagaman is the bride's entry into the wedding, when she is brought to the varmala stage or the mandap, often under a canopy of flowers held by her brothers and cousins.
- Mameru
Mameru is the Gujarati custom where the bride's maternal uncle (mama) brings gifts for her, traditionally including her wedding saree, called the panetar, and her bangles.
Questions
Ponkhvu, answered
What is Ponkhvu?
Ponkhvu is the Gujarati welcome of the groom, where the bride's mother greets him at the entrance with an aarti and playfully tries to catch his nose.
Which families celebrate Ponkhvu?
Gujarati Hindu and Jain families.
When does Ponkhvu happen in the order of wedding functions?
When the jaan (baraat) arrives, before the groom enters the mandap.
What do families write on the invitation for Ponkhvu?
Jaan aagman and ponkhvu at 7 pm, followed by the hast melap at 8 pm.
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